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Tyer gives community updates twice a month.

Pittsfield Community Television honored Mayor Tyer and Police Chief Wynn

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Wynn received a Programming Excellence Award in the category of Radio Programming series for his department's "On Patrol with the PPD" radio program on WTBR
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield Community Television honored Mayor Linda Tyer and Police Chief Michael Wynn with awards for outstanding television and radio programming.
 
At its 33rd Annual Meeting of the Members and Celebration on Monday, Sept. 21, Pittsfield Community Television (PCTV) recognized the City of Pittsfield's notable communication initiatives, with awards presented to Mayor Linda Tyer and Police Chief Michael Wynn for outstanding television and radio programming.
 
Tyer received the Community Service through Community Media Award for her weekly COVID-19 updates delivered during the height of the pandemic in the spring. It's the first time that PCTV has presented this award to a sitting mayor.
 
Currently, the mayor continues to provide bi-monthly updates on a range of topics, issues, and happenings in the city. The mayor's address can be viewed on PCTV Citylink Channel 1303, PCTV Select, PCTV's Facebook page, and 89.7 WTBR-FM.
 
Her next update is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2.
 
Wynn received a Programming Excellence Award in the category of Radio Programming series for his department's "On Patrol with the PPD" radio program on WTBR. The program, which was established prior to the surge, also served as a communication resource to share public health information. 
 
Wynn thanked PCTV for the distinction.
 
"We're humbled and honored to be recognized for our effort to keep the community engaged and informed," Wynn said.
 
In her remarks, Tyer praised PCTV for its presence in the community and acknowledged the efforts of the city's COVID-19 Response Task Force.
 
"My congratulations to Chief Wynn on receiving a Programming Excellence Award. I am so honored to receive this Community Service Award. I became a super fan of PCTV way back in 2003 when I first ran for City Council and I began to understand how deeply PCTV, and now WTBR, assessed what we all know about our city," Tyer said. "I really admire all that they do for Pittsfield."
 
Tyer said while she was the face of the weekly COVID-19 communications, she had a team of professionals behind her.
 
"It's important to tell you that there was a team of highly trained professionals that got us all through the COVID-19 surge," she said. "I could not have been able to make those weekly presentations and updates to all of you without them."
 
Tyer thanked public health and public safety officials, the public schools, EMS professionals, Berkshire Health Systems, the Sheriff's Office, the Department of Public Works, Community Development and MEMA. 
 
"They all helped me keep all of you informed about our COVID activities, guidelines and regulations," Tyer said. "But especially to Catherine [Van Bramer] and Roberta [McCulloch-Dews] from my office who keep me focused on the task ahead and keep me moving forward every day. Thank you."
 

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EPA Lays Out Draft Plan for PCB Remediation in Pittsfield

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Ward 4 Councilor James Conant requested the meeting be held at Herberg Middle School as his ward will be most affected. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency and General Electric have a preliminary plan to remediate polychlorinated biphenyls from the city's Rest of River stretch by 2032.

"We're going to implement the remedy, move on, and in five years we can be done with the majority of the issues in Pittsfield," Project Manager Dean Tagliaferro said during a hearing on Wednesday.

"The goal is to restore the (Housatonic) river, make the river an asset. Right now, it's a liability."

The PCB-polluted "Rest of River" stretches nearly 125 miles from the confluence of the East and West Branches of the river in Pittsfield to the end of Reach 16 just before Long Island Sound in Connecticut.  The city's five-mile reach, 5A, goes from the confluence to the wastewater treatment plant and includes river channels, banks, backwaters, and 325 acres of floodplains.

The event was held at Herberg Middle School, as Ward 4 Councilor James Conant wanted to ensure that the residents who will be most affected by the cleanup didn't have to travel far.

Conant emphasized that "nothing is set in actual stone" and it will not be solidified for many months.

In February 2020, the Rest of River settlement agreement that outlines the continued cleanup was signed by the U.S. EPA, GE, the state, the city of Pittsfield, the towns of Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, and Sheffield, and other interested parties.

Remediation has been in progress since the 1970s, including 27 cleanups. The remedy settled in 2020 includes the removal of one million cubic yards of contaminated sediment and floodplain soils, an 89 percent reduction of downstream transport of PCBs, an upland disposal facility located near Woods Pond (which has been contested by Southern Berkshire residents) as well as offsite disposal, and the removal of two dams.

The estimated cost is about $576 million and will take about 13 years to complete once construction begins.

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